TOKYO, Feb. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- The domestic supporting rate for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinet dropped to 45 percent, a sharp decline of 14 percentage points from the previous survey in December, according to a recent poll published on Monday.

    The poll, organized by the business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun from Thursday to Sunday, also showed that the disapproval rating rose 9 points to 43 percent.

    The newspaper said the decline was due to a series of recent issues and the way how Cabinet ministers have handled them.

    The issues include the arrest of popular entrepreneur Takafumi Horie for alleged securities law violations, suspension of beef imports from the United States only a month after lifting a ban, quakeproof data fabrications on condominiums and hotels and bid rigging directed by officials of the Defense Facilities Administration Agency, the paper said.    Enditem